Tuesday, February 14, 2012

February 14, 2012

Ola!,

Another week here in Brasil has passed and gone and I'm starting to feel my age! I don't know how time is passing by so quickly but it is. Before I know it I will have one year and six months out and then after that you can count how many months on one hand!! Crazy to think about it so I try not to. I think I'm really starting to love the ward here. I'm really starting to talk with the people and want to do anything to improve their lives. Today, we got up, got dressed and called the other elders to help us and went to go get a bed. The bishop´s wife talked to us and asked us to bring a bed to her house. So we walked, FOREVER, and got the bed then, us four,. took the bed to the bishop´s house and left the bed there. My feet hurt from walking. But at least the young man who was baptized recently won't have to sleep on the floor anymore. I don´t think I know a more humble, lovable, respectful kid then him. And in doing small things like that I'm seeing that sacrifices bring so many blessings for the giver and receiver. I guess you cant say that, "nothing that is hard to do isn´t good for you."

This week we went on a division with some Elders that live in a different city and I had a lot of fun. It is way awesome to get to know other elders and see their point of view and where they are coming from. Some missionaries tell you that when you do these divisions you need to teach. But I think that we should do these divisions to learn. I heard a quote the other day that I really liked that went something like this.

"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."

I think it is essential to be involved and help the ones that we love. And we need to remember that Christ loved, Everyone. As we taught throughout the day we had many opportunities to talk and share experiences with one another. I'm starting to understand something that my trainer told me way back when I was green as grass. He told me that he was here to help and have FUN. I´m understanding that through laughter and smiles you can invite the spirit sometimes stronger and quicker than being serious. And as we laughed, we learned, and as we learned, we grew, and as we grew, Heavenly Father blessed.

We had been waiting at a members house for about an hour for an investigator to show up and she never did. So we shared a message with the member and we felt the spirit. Asked if we could visit a family member or friend of her´s and she gave us some directions and off we went. We went where we thought the house was and didn´t find her. And the Elder looked at me and asked what should we do. I decided that we should walk down this road and see what will happen. It wasn´t 2 minutes after we started journeying down this road when we passed a house with a lady sitting down on the ground and for some odd reason I felt a little tug and I stopped and we went back to that house. We clapped the door and a young girl came out and we contacted her and asked if we could share a message. It was 8:25 when we got in the door and we sat down and started talking to this lady sitting on the ground and we ended up teaching one of the most powerful lessons that day with this little family. I felt the prompting to challenge her to be baptized the whole lesson and when I couldn´t stand it anymore I looked directly in her eyes and told here, "Maria, você seguirá o exemplo de Jesus Cristo sendo batizada por alguém que possui autoridade de Deus?" (Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ being baptized by someone who has the authority of God?) I felt the Spirit fill the room. She accepted and I have faith that one day when she keeps all the commandments she will be baptized and will be a great member of the church of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that we had the privilege to teach that lady in the last 40 minutes of the day.

The work is true and the the church is too! Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to our heavenly home. If we keep the commandments and repent, baptized, receive the gift the Holy Ghost, and continue until the end I am firmly convinced that we will be resurrected with the just and faithful and enter into our heavenly glory. But if we don´t, we will wish we had listened to the small, tender, voice that our Father so fully proffers us.

te amo,elder brown

P.S.- My companion organized the ward choir and its turning out to be the shizzle ha. He is awesome!